After a two week hiatus...it was wonderful to be back in the ASL saddle once more. Neither Dan Best or myself got in a game during those two weeks. So we were both coming into Saturday's game with a lot of excitement to roll some dice. Taking some time away from the game is always a good idea. And I'll admit, it was nice to have the time away from blogging an AAR. These AAR's are a bit of work. It's certainly a labor of love, but the down-time was good for me and for my Call of Duty WWII stats!!!
I'm a huge fan of the Call of Duty series and am really glad that they returned to World War II. I'm not a big fan of the A-historical stuff, but I'll take what they give me. So if you're online with your PS4....watch out for Ozarkoutrider...cause this 53 year old still has game!!
For our Saturday game, Dan and I selected another of the classics...ASL Scenario G - Hube's Pocket. Again, the grognards will remember playing this one back in the 1980's when it was first issued with Cross of Iron. When it was first released for Squad Leader it was Scenario 15.
I can't lie and by now many of you must sense that I am a bit trapped in my SL/ASL past. Guilty as charged. I do tend to find myself drawn to the scenarios of old. They're like comfort food...you know...like a Scramslam from Dennys...food that just satisfies!!
I didn't see a large number of changes between the SL-COI version nd the ASL version. The ASL version is a turn longer and the Germans lose 2 Panthers, a Half-track, 2 x MMG's, 2 x LMG's and a squad. The Russians only lose a KV-85 and gain a T-34/85. So those of you who remember this being a good scenario to play as the Germans are in for a wee bit of a surprise with the ASL version, which is decidedly less friendly to the Germans. Two extra Panthers would go a loooong way.
Hube's Pocket is based on the actions of the German First Panzer Army as it sought to escape encirclement near Kamenets-Podolsky. Nearly 200,000 Germans were at risk as the hard-charging Russians under Zhukov looked to eliminate the pocket.
By this stage of the war, escaping from encirclements would become a staple of German operations as the weight of Soviet forces began to be felt on the extended German lines of defense. But the Germans remained masters of mobile strike groups and under the capable leadership of German General Hans-Valentin Hube, the German 1st Panzer Army would make good its escape.
Hans-Valentin Hube is one of the more remarkable General officers who served in the Wehrmacht. A veteran of World War 1, Hube lost his left arm at Verdun...and surviving that battle is remarkable enough in my opinion. Following the war, Hube would serve in the Reichswehr and Friekorps before joining the Wehrmacht. He would participate in the Polish and French campaigns before joining the 6th Army on it's death ride to Stalingrad. Hube would be deemed too important to lose and was flown out of the Kessel.
He would lead the German defense of Sicily and successfully evacuate the Axis Forces from the island to the Italian mainland. This may be his greatest military accomplishment. And on his return to Russia, Hans Valentin-Hube…."Der Mensch" would take on his last military assignment and lead the successful escape of the 1st Panzer Army. This victory would also be his last as he returned to Berlin to receive the Diamonds to his Ritterkreuz. His return flight to the front would crash and Germany would lose yet another irreplaceable field General.
It can be difficult to spend time highlighting the accomplishments of German officers in the Second World War. On the one hand, we marvel at their mastery of modern warfare...but on the other we must acknowledge that the cause which they served was wholly undeserving of their skills and valor. It is certainly one of the saddest truths of history. And it is all the more tragic for the people of Europe and most especially Russia, who suffered so much in the Second World War.
So, we can as historians tip our hats to the military prowess of Germans in World War II and at the same time never forget that they served one of the worst causes in human history.
I will admit a fascination with good men who find themselves serving bad causes. My own family were all Confederates who fought in the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. All were Scots-Irish in the coal mining regions of Southwest Virginia who fought and surrendered with Lee at Appomattox. Men who gave all for a cause that also was not worthy of the sacrifice of so many men. History is rarely kind to those on the wrong side of justice and history.
One of the other things I love about classic ASL scenarios is that I get to use the boards I grew up with. 2, 4, and 5 all get to be used in this scenario. And Board 5 was brand new with Cross of Iron. Can you imagine only having 5 boards in a day when we have 83 boards...hard to imagine sometimes!
The SSR's for this scenario are pretty important. The Germans enter on Turn 1 from the West Edge. The Russians enter on Turn 1 from the North Edge and the German Convoys trying to escape the pocket enter sometime after Turn 4 on the East Edge.
The Germans are not allowed to enter Board 4 prior to Turn 2.
After rolling for sides, Dan Best would be the Russians and command elements of the Soviet 5th Tank Corps. This Soviet force would be badly mauled in the 1943 fighting around Smolensk. They would be hurriedly thrown in the path of the escaping Germans by Zhukov in a desperate attempt to stop the breakout.
Dan's force would consist of 8 x 6-2-8's, 10 x 4-4-7's led by a 9-1, 8-1, and 8-0 with 3 x LMG's. His armor would consist of 3 x T-34/85's and 6 x T-34/76 1943's.
Not really a master size force, but on the armor side it would be fairly strong compared to just four German tanks. In the original COI version of the scenario it would 9 tanks to 5 tanks.
As the Germans, I would command elements of the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg". This late war formation would cut its teeth on the Russian Front and gain it's first laurels under Hube before going to Normandy and Hill 112 and then later at Arnhem, where together with the Hohenstaufen Division they would win their most notable victory.
My force would consist of 11 x 6-5-8's, led by a 10-2, 9-1 and 2 x 8-1's with an HMG, 4 x LMG's, 2 x Panzerschreks and 2 DC's. My armor force would have a 9-1 Armor Leader and consist of a Panther, 3 x MKIV's, and 4 x Half-Tracks. My convoy would consist of 16 trucks of which 10 had to exit the West Board edge for me to win the scenario. A very stout force and nigh unstoppable in the hands of a capable ASL Player. I would prove to be the other kind of player.
I had not done good prep work prior to playin the scenario. Having played it so many times in Squad Leader...I just thought to myself...I've got this. Well...I didn't have anything and on Turn 1, I would find myself very sorry that I had not done some solid preparation.
Yep...playing Call of Duty up until the last minute to start the game....
My strategy...such as it was...was to move my armor up in front of and on to the hills. Three of my half-tracks and infantry would cruise down the wood road to take up positions on the east end of Board 5.
My Panther was in the lead and covering the initial cross roads onto Board 2. The remainder of my force sort of struggled into place. I was already feeling like I had made way too many mistakes.
Sometimes...you just know it's not really a good plan...
Dan went with a half-board schwerpunkt, which would fragment as the game went on. Both of us became reactive players as the game went on. This would be a good thing for the Russians as the engagement became a close in punching match. The Germans never got to use the benefit of long range fire. One of my chief mistakes in this scenario. Don't get in close with the T-34's...repeat...don't get in close...
Yeah...that's too close...
Dan's Russians came on hard towards the east end of Board 2. Dan would get control of the high ground on that part of the map. Meanwhile he set up a strong blocking force in the farm complex on Board 4.
Turn 2 - I continued my Board 5 movements and tried to string together a blocking force for my Convoy to hide behind. Both my Panzerschreks would be set up in this area. My 10-2 and HMG would also be in the woods. One of my Half-Tracks went up the hill and a T-34/85 promptly wiped it out. My Panther went up to level 1 and two MKIV's went along the back side of the hill while the third MKIV took a gamble and set up with a shot on the hull-down T-34/85. It was a gamble which would not pay off.
The red circles indicate Russian Tanks. I had two layers of defense, but was very shallow on the far east edge.
Dan would knock out his first MKIV and pepper my Panther with shots.
I would get lucky as another T-34/85 ran up the far east hill. My second MKIV was waiting and took it out. Scratch one Russian tank.
Good shooting boys!
Dan would eliminate another MKIV and send two tanks against my final MKIV. I would MALF it's main armament and go down with a whimper. My Panther however would pick up the slack and take down the first of its 4 Kills.
On Turn 3, I would send my Panther on its epic journey of the battle. With Russian tanks swarming the high ground behind me, I decided to go for the gold. I charged the Panther forward, used bounding fire on the first T-34/76 in my way, killed it and then proceeded to take up a position in the Russian backfield.
It ranks as one of the greatest tank moves of my ASL experience!
But things were getting grim for my Germans. Dan had knocked out all three of my MKIV's. Collectively they had only accounted for 1 Russian tank. I had done a very poor job of managing them. Now I had a single tank against 6 Russian tanks. The odds were not looking good.
My 9-1 Armor Leader knew he was in trouble.
And sure enough Dan threw three tanks at my Panther. I would take out two before MALF'ing my MA while trying to intensive fire on the last T-34/76 near the Panther.
My Panther would go down fighting.
The surviving T-34/76 would finally knock out my Panther.
On the other end of the SKPE line...I could hear Dan celebrating!!!
With my armor gone and Dan still possessing three tanks. I did manage to bag another tank with a Snake eyes shot by my Panzershreck in the center woods. My last great moment of the scenario!
Yes...yes it is...
With it getting late...and having no armor left...I figured..what the heck...let's bring on the convoys.
I know it seemed like it was too soon to bring on the trucks...but my 10-2 was totally confident that we could do it...he would do something similar at Arnhem...but that's for a different AAR!!!
Things were getting dicey!!!
My second convoy came on and promptly lost a truck to a 4-4-7....seriously...!?!
Dan's tanks moved to interdict my convoys. The one in the middle would fall victim to my Panzerschrek shot mentioned earlier. The others would move into position successfully.
There was nothing I could do to stop them.
This T-34/76 was Dan's insurance policy...in the event that I made it to the safety of the wooded road.
My convoy in the North was met by infantry and a T-34/76. It was game over in the North.
The northern convoy is destroyed.
Say hello to my little friend...
The T-34/85 takes out the last two trucks Dan needed for the win.
With my convoys all shot up...it was game over. Dan had destroyed enough trucks to take the victory.
Dan's Russians had won the day and eliminated the German First Panzer Army. There would be no Diamonds for my Knight's Cross. No Sir...I was headed to the Gulag.
Congrats to Dan on a great win. We had a blast playing this scenario. Many mistakes were made...but great fun was had...so all in all a great night of ASL action with a classic Scenario!
Now...we know what's in Hube's Pocket...
but what's in your wallet!?!
Dan and I will be back in action next Saturday with View from the Trenches' Scenario V0.12 - The Shambles!
See ya next week! I know I can bearly wait!!!
Excellent AAR. One of the best I've ever seen. Awesome !!!!
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